Mabel and Chance

The people of Hilo are so friendly. Mabel was watching her grandson play on the beach although her goal had been for Chance to gather seaweed. "I teach all my grandchildren how to gather seaweed.  Do you see at the edge of the rock, that light green color?  That's limu ele ele."

What do you do with it after it's gathered?

"I clean it and dry it.  We eat it.  I always give some to my pastor.  He asked me why I feed him.  I told him, 'You feed me spiritually, I feed you how I can.'  I'm religious but I'm also traditional.  I taught my kids and now my grandchildren about the limu and many other things.  When you are finished gathering limu, you turn to the ocean and say, 'Thank you for this gift.'  And you never shee-shee in the water.  It's disrespectful.  I pass on the things I learned when I was growing up.  Today I bring Chance to gather limu ele ele, but he just wants to play.  Oh well, maybe next time."